Danger Path
by Asyr Sei'lar
Summary: Obi-Wan has to stop an insidous plot to destroy Caamas with the aid of a Sith woman.


FanFiction.Net

  
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. Lucasfilm does (too bad). No money is being made off this story. The character of Kandia Reth, her ship Starrunner, as well as it's class, Vornskyr-class, and the planet Coltiron belong to me. Wait, wait!!! I have more to say! 

Synopsis: Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers a sinister plot to destroy Caamas. He enlists the help of a Sith woman who has inside information on the plan to stop it. Based on The Hand of Thrawn series. 

Author: Asyr Sei'lar 

Title: Danger Path 

A chill wind lifted the back of Obi-Wan Kenobi's cloak, forcing him to pull it closer around himself to keep warm. He sat on a flat rock situated on a hill overlooking the gardens of Bail Organa, one of the most prominent politicians of the planet Alderaan. He sighed, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. 

It had been three years since the death of his master and friend, Qui-Gon Jinn. Still, the pangs of grief and guilt overwhelmed him as strongly as they first had after Qui-Gon's death. The intricate rows of flowers and shrubbery wound their way across and around three artificial hills, placed in strategic areas so that viewing the gardens from any of those hills was a piece of art in and of itself. Obi-Wan had chosen this hill in particular because one area of the garden had been devoted entirely to flowers in different shades of blue. When the wind rippled through them, it reminded him of the rhythmic waves of an ocean, soothing and lulling. 

He heard footsteps approaching him, but didn't turn to see who it was. A tall, slender man, with silver in his dark hair, approached. The man was dignified, alert, but there was also an air of grandfatherly affection. The man put a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder reluctantly, as if to pull him away from the mesmerizing spectacle. Or his gloomy thoughts. Obi-Wan wasn't sure which. He sighed sadly. "It is time," the man said. 

Obi-Wan studied the other men seated at the circular conference table. He had been sent to this meeting by the Jedi Council as a mediator for a trade dispute between Corellia and Alderaan as a cover. The Jedi were not supposed to become involved in politics, but the recent maneuverings of Senator Palpatine of Naboo and his supporters was becoming increasingly a cause for concern. Not to mention the rumors of there being Sith and Dark Jedi . . . 

Obi-Wan knew it was more than a rumor. He and Qui-Gon Jinn had fought a Sith three years ago, on Naboo, and barely won. Qui-Gon had died. Obi-Wan had barely escaped with his life. The Jedi Council had chosen not to reveal this information to the Senate, for fear of a leak of information or political maneuvering to take advantage of the situation. However, things had changed, and Obi-Wan had been sent to tell Bail Organa, Senator of Alderaan, and Bel Iblis, Senator of Corellia, about the problem. The Council had felt that these were the only two men they could trust on the Senate not to reveal the information to the wrong people.

There were only the three of them present. Bail Organa sat across from him, dark eyes studying him in return. The silver in the senator's hair was rapidly overtaking what remained of the black. Senator Bel Iblis sat to his right, his face set in a frown. He possessed the roguish features all Corellians were famous for, complete with a mustache. His dark brown hair was close-cropped, lending him a partially military appearance, enhanced with the sense of efficiency he seemed to exude. "Jedi Kenobi," Iblis began, "what exactly did the Council send you here for?" 

"It's about what's happening in the Senate, sir," Obi-Wan answered, "and something more." He recounted his and Qui-Gon's mission to Naboo briefly, ending with the Sith rumor that was being heard more and more frequently these days. 

"I know Senator Palpatine is gathering more power than is good for any one senator, Jedi Kenobi," Bail said carefully. "Still, what do you wish us to do about it? He has done nothing wrong. I am completely aware the Senate is rather corrupt, but are you implying Naboo's Senator is untrustworthy? Especially as Naboo is one of the most highly regarded planets in this Republic!" 

"I am not saying Naboo is corrupt, Senator," Obi-Wan replied. "In fact, it is one of the most peaceful planets in the Republic, not torn by strife or involved in the Senate's corruption. Still, the Council is concerned about Senator Palpatine's actions. To be more precise, his changing attitude toward Jedi, which is affecting public opinion. If the Jedi fall, as seems his intention, then this Republic will fall as well." 

"You know, Bail, I have been rather suspicious of Palpatine," admitted Iblis. "There are rumors he is pushing for presidency, and those senators supporting him are the ones who are the most easily bribed. I have a bad feeling about him." 

At that moment, the door opened and a servant ran in. "Sir! Sir!" he cried, skidding to a halt in front of the table. "There's . . . there's a . . ." he said breathlessly. 

"Calm yourself, man," Iblis said. "Then tell us what happened when you're ready." The man nodded and gulped a couple of deep breaths. At last, he squared his shoulders and faced the trio. 

"There is a ship that landed, Senator Organa," he said. "Its pilot was injured severely, but insisted on seeing you before his wounds can be attended to with bacta. He gave a high-level code, sir." Before the servant could say another word, Bail was out the door, with Obi-Wan and Iblis a half-step behind. 

They arrived in the compact medical center in Organa's house just in time to see the injured pilot being wheeled in. There was a large, gaping burn on his shoulder, black and brown from the burned tissue and dried blood. Doctors buzzed around him like nitsi-flies around a nek battle dog. "Leave us," Bail commanded. "We have a sensitive matter to discuss." 

The nurses darted around him for the door, but one of the doctors stood her ground. Fire and concern for her patient filled her brown eyes. "Sir," she began in a respectful but determined manner, "this patient is critically wounded and needs immediate attention-" 

"Go, Doctor," Bail told her. "Or I'll have you fired." Lips set in a thin line, the doctor exited the room. Bail sighed, relieved. He turned to the man. "Report," he snapped, although his command was belied by the gentle tone. 

The pilot heaved a painful sigh, clutching his shoulder. "Sir, I-" Before the man could say another word, Obi-Wan stepped forward and gingerly touched the man's shoulder. He used the Force to stop the bleeding and absorbed some of the man's pain. The man blinked at him in gratitude, but pain still clouded his eyes. "Thanks you," he said in a half-strangled whisper. The man turned his gaze back to Bail. "There was a major task force building up at Coltiron, Senator," he began. "I barely got out alive. "He gestured at his shoulder. "Every type of ship from bombers to corvettes. But it's not an official task force. Palpatine ordered them out." 

"There's something else," Iblis prodded gently, "isn't there?" 

The man nodded slowly. "All the ships were modified for ground attack mode," he said, his voice slightly slurred and dazed. Through the Force, Obi-Wan could feel the man's pain building up again. 

"Where are they planning to hit?" Iblis asked roughly, a trace of fear or concern in his voice. Obi-Wan could not tell which. 

"Target . . . unknown," the man spat out, barely able to stay conscious any longer. Obi-Wan rushed to the man's side to help ease him into a more comfortable position as the man's eyes closed. Bail alerted the doctors and they immediately rushed back in, hooking him up to monitors and setting up bacta treatment for his wound. The trio stepped out, unnoticed by the harried doctors. 

As soon as the door closed behind them, Iblis asked, "Is his information trustworthy?" 

Bail frowned at him. "Very. That man has saved my life on no fewer than five occasions, both with his information and physically." 

"Who exactly is he?" Obi-Wan asked. 

"A friend," Bail answered vaguely, "who happens to be a good intelligence officer." 

"And he works for you?" Iblis demanded. 

"Yes," Bail said bluntly. He turned to Obi-Wan. "The Jedi Council are not the only ones who are worried about Palpatine. I, too, have been keeping an eye on him." 

"Through this man," Iblis said. It was not a question. 

"Yes." They walked out of the patio doors adjoining the house with the gardens. Obi-Wan took a moment to savor the sweet smell of the flowers, but quickly returned his attention to the business at hand. Bail abruptly stopped and turned around to face Obi-Wan. "Jedi Kenobi," he said quietly, "Palpatine seems to be attempting to take over the Republic. We must stop him. I fear that if he becomes president of the Republic, much evil will come of it. Already signs of decay show in the Senate, with no small help from him, I believe. You must go to Coltiron, to discover what the target of this task force is. If you can, stop them. If not, go back and tell the Council what you have discovered." 

"I will, Senator," Obi-Wan said. 

Bail nodded, suddenly relaxing. "With a Jedi on the job, I have no doubt you will succeed. I will send word of your mission to the Council secretly, less there be a leak of information to the wrong parties."

"Thank you, Senator." He bowed to the two men. "With your permission, I will begin packing and making arrangements for leaving." 

"I'll arrange immediate liftoff clearance for your ship, Jedi Kenobi," Bail said. He hesitated. "May the Force be with you." 

Sounds of ships lifting off and cargo being loaded loudly echoed across the large courtyard of Coltiron's main garrison. Obi-Wan glanced at the side of the cargo shuttle he had appropriated, as well as the dark-blue jumpsuit. To infiltrate the base more easily, he had sneaked onto the station and put one of the cargo handlers in a Jedi healing trance, stealing his shuttle, ID, and his extra jumpsuit. To look a little less conspicuous, he had tucked his braid into his jumpsuit and untied his ponytail, leaving his hair a rumpled mess. A not uncommon sight among these people. 

He moved easily among the grunting workers, avoiding cargo sleds and speeders with an ease born of years of dodging traffic on Coruscant. He made his way into the pilot's ready room, where he changed clothes once more, this time in a black flightsuit. He stashed the jumpsuit in the janitor's closet, then glanced around to see if anyone had caught him. 

Finally satisfied that the corridor was deserted, he made his way into the fighter pilots' portion of the garrison. He managed to work his way near to the garrison's command center when a gray-uniformed officer stopped him. "Where do you think you're going?" the officer growled. 

Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and touched the officer's mind. It was much too strong for him to do much more than distract it. Which, in this case wouldn't work, since all of the officer's attention was focused on him. Still, if he could create a little disturbance, it might distract the officer enough for him to slip away. He eased the datapad out of the officer's fingers ever so slowly with the Force, inch by inch, slowly enough he hoped the officer hadn't noticed. Slowly, ever so slowly . . . 

"I asked what you were doing here, pilot!" the officer demanded. 

"I . . . I . . ." Obi-Wan stalled. Suddenly, the datapad slid out of the officer's hand with a loud thud. The officer glanced down, long enough for Obi-Wan to shove him out of the way and sprint down the hallway. "Security to Control Room," he heard the officer say to his comlink. "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" 

_Nice going, _Obi-Wan thought grimly. He grabbed the door's frame and half-pulled, half-skidded his way into the control room. He activated his lightsaber, the bright blue light a sharp contrast to the gray consoles. Troopers rushed in, aiming their blaster rifles at him. Using the Force, he weaved a complicated defense net with his lightsaber, deflecting all the shots that came near him. he thought desperately. Troopers were beginning to pour in from other entrances to the control room, trapping him inside. Already he was beginning to tire, near-misses forcing him to dance away in whatever direction his attackers desired. He could see they were herding him toward one specific area of the room, where they would be able to catch him in a crossfire. 

Vaguely heard screams of troopers across the room distracted him momentarily. His head snapped around. He saw a woman cutting down troopers with a silvery-blue lightsaber, vicious in her movements. Unfortunately, that moment of distraction proved his undoing. A stun-bolt hit him, knocking him off his feet. _Who is she?_ was his last thought before darkness engulfed him. 

Warmth. The muted sounds of medical equipment beeping and engines roaring. The vague feeling that something was horribly wrong. Obi-Wan opened his eyes slowly, extremely aware of the pounding headache and nausea he had. He stayed still, trying to stop his last meal from coming out the wrong way. 

A scraping noise turned his attention to the right-hand side of his bed. The woman he vaguely remembered from the firefight was there, pushing a basin up against his bed. "Those blasters were set on heavy stun," the woman said. "Right about now you should feel like vomiting up the contents of your stomach." She nodded at the basin. "That's what that's for." 

Obi-Wan stared at her, uneasy stomach forgotten. She was easily one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She had gold-streaked dark-brown hair, sea blue eyes, and a slender, muscular build. "Who . . .?" he managed to get out before the headache suddenly came back. The woman didn't answer. Instead, she gently helped him sit up and face the basin. He promptly threw up. As he sat up, the empty feeling in his stomach a relief, he noticed her watching him. He threw a questioning glance her way, saw the hatred and confusion on her face. He shuddered. The hatred displayed on her face was so strong that it was a wonder she had rescued him. He lay back in bed, his headache still raging in his skull. 

She loaded an ampoule of some drug into a needle and proceeded to inject him with it. Seeing the suspicion on his face, she explained, "It'll help stop your headache." Indeed, the headache seemed to be fading away. But it was replaced by a horrible empty feeling. Obi-Wan tried to reach out with the Force to touch her mind, but nothing happened. It was as if the Force were no longer with him. He reached out for the Force again, with the same results. It was as if their roles were reversed. The hatred and confusion were gone from her face, replaced by a look of eerie calm, while despair had appeared on his features. 

"You're probably wondering what happened to your beloved power," the woman said, her voice devoid of emotion, yet the words were mocking. Obi-Wan stared at her, uncomprehending. "The Force," she said bluntly, forcefully. "You're wondering why you can't access the Force." She held up his lightsaber. "I know you're a Jedi." 

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in surprise. He shook his head ruefully. "I should have guessed I would be searched." 

"I didn't search you," the woman said, the hatred he had seen before creeping into her voice. "I found it near your body when I dragged you out." Realizing she'd said more than she wanted to, she shut her mouth and turned her back on Obi-Wan. She began rearranging the objects on top of a nearby lab table. 

"Thank you for the rescue," Obi-Wan said, his tone awkward but sincere. "You saved my life." 

The hatred she felt erupted at that moment. "I shouldn't have ever saved you," she bit out. 

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said softly, breaking the silence. "What's yours?" 

She studied him long and hard, as if judging how much damage could be done if she told him. "Kandia Reth," she said at last, reluctantly. 

"Kandia," he repeated slowly. He smiled. "A nice name." 

She snorted. "Save the compliments for someone who cares," she said sarcastically. She cocked her head and studied him. "You're probably wondering why you can't access the Force," she repeated. "Why you get this empty feeling, as if you were suddenly blind. Right?" Surprised at her accurate observations, he could only nod numbly. "I moved in some ysalamiri around the medbay on my ship," she explained hesitantly. She watched him warily, as if she half-expected him to attack her at any moment. "I wanted to guarantee you'd listen to me fairly." 

"Ysalamiri?" he asked, curious. "What are those?"

"Sessile animals that come from Myrkr," she said. "Alone, they create a 3 meter wide Force-empty bubble. In a group, their bubbles reinforce one another and can extend much, much farther." 

"Interesting," he said nonchalantly. It was his turn to now stare at her warily. "You said you wanted a fair chance for me to hear whatever it is you wanted to tell me." 

"Yes," she said. She looked away from him. "I was expecting an intelligence officer to come poking around, not a Jedi."

"One did," he said softly. 

"Yes," she agreed. "Kost Telrun of Alderaan. I tried to reach him, but the guards saw him before I did." She bit her lip. "A good man, Kost, despite being my enemy." 

"Enemy . . . ?" he inquired. 

A faint, amused smile graced her face as she glanced at him. "I was wondering when you would get around to asking about me," she said sardonically. She took a deep breath, tensing her body as if preparing for a blow. She went back to playing around with the lab table's contents, arranging and rearranging them. "You know those rumors about Sith coming back? And working for Palpatine?" she asked evasively. 

"Yes," he answered cautiously, not knowing where this was going. 

She looked up at him, long and hard. "I'm one of them," she said finally. 

He jerked back as if she had physically hit him. "Then the rumors are true!" he breathed. He turned his piercing blue eyes on her. "What exactly do you want from me?" 

She locked eyes with him, a challenge in her gaze. "He's planning to blow up Caamas," she said, her voice hard. "I need your help to stop him." 

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he demanded, his voice equally tough. 

Her gaze dropped. "What he's doing is wrong," she said at last. "I don't like Jedi anymore than he does, but killing that doesn't involve revenge or self-defense is wrong in my book." Suddenly, she glared at him. "I couldn't think of anybody that could or would help me. So I tracked them to the Coltiron base and waited for someone to show up." 

"I see," he said slowly. He stuck out his hand. "I'll help you." Slowly, ever so slowly, a smile spread on her face as she shook his hand. 

Kandia gazed out the front viewport of the cockpit of her ship, watching the starlines rush past as the ship continued en route to Caamas. She sighed. She knew she was expecting the impossible, trying to stop an attack on a planet with one ship. Obi-Wan had put out a call to Alderaan for additional ships to back them up, but Jenna knew they would probably arrive too late. Obi-Wan's disastrous infiltration of Coltiron had stepped up the schedule for launching the invasion. Palpatine's fleet had jumped into hyperspace while they had been still trying to get to her ship. 

Soft, light footsteps alerted her acute hearing to the fact that someone very familiar was approaching the cockpit. She resisted the urge to turn around and steal a glance at him. She didn't need another problem at the moment, what with Caamas on the brink of destruction, and the idea of trusting a Jedi that was in and of itself, very hard to deal with, but there was also her growing attraction to him. She shook her head. she reminded herself savagely. 

"Kandia?" came the soft query. Obi-Wan's slender form seated itself in the copilot's chair that usually remained empty. "I was wondering where you were." 

"I'm here," she grunted. Sarcastically, she added, "This ship isn't that big. There aren't exactly many other places I'd be." A shadow of something that suspiciously resembled hurt came over Obi-Wan's face, but it was quickly gone. A silence hung between them, unnoticed. They were too wrapped up in their own individual thoughts. 

"What type of ship is this?" Obi-Wan asked suddenly. Noticing her startled look, he added, "I've always been interested in ships. I've never encountered a model like this." 

She glanced at him, then back at the viewport. "It's a Seinar *Vornskyr*-class. New model." Her face hardened, but her voiced remained the same. "It was a very recent gift from Palpatine. To make it easier to do my job." 

Staring at the set jaw, and the hard way she was glaring at the viewport, Obi-Wan steeled himself, expecting a blow. "Kandia," he said, his voice low and even, "why do you hate Jedi so much?" 

To his surprise, she sighed sadly as she slouched in her chair. Staring out into space, she said absently, "My father was killed by a Jedi." 

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked, not quite sure what else to say. 

She quickly brought her emotional defenses back up, determined not to let him see her in a state of weakness again. "Quite," she said, sarcasm and anger dripping from every word. "He was wearing Jedi robes and carried a lightsaber." 

"Was your father a Sith?" Obi-Wan queried softly. 

She shook her head vigorously. "No, just an innocent bystander becoming a casualty in a fight a Jedi was too stupid to stop," she said bitterly. She said nothing more, too caught up in her grief and anger to notice the hand Obi-Wan had placed on her shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. A loud beep brought her out of her reverie. She quickly pressed a series of buttons and a tactical window appeared on the main monitor. "What's going on?" demanded Obi-Wan, but he could already see what was happening. A bright flash of light could be seen, despite the viewport automatically damping the light down to tolerable levels. 

Suddenly they were back in normal space. "Something pulled us out of hyperspace," she said. She swore fluidly. She turned to Obi-Wan. "Get to one of the gunwells. I can handle the rest of the guns, but I'll need at least one gun operating without me so I can my attention on everything else." Obi-Wan jumped out of his seat and ducked into the tunnel that led to the starboard gunwell. He climbed up the ladder, trying to clear his mind of all thoughts so he could access the Force. Strangely enough, though, he couldn't seem to get Kandia's face out of his mind. 

He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts and seated himself at the gun controls, aiming and shooting even before the targeting computer could get a positive lock. Kandia flew the ship towards the blockade, hearing the tone of a communications lock. "Unknown ship," an angry male voice from the ship in front of her said, "this is the Agonizer. Identify yourselves and state your business." 

She switched on her comm unit. "Agonizer, this is Starrunner. Our business is definitely none of *your* business." She switched the comm unit off with a satisfied smile. The ship darted into the task force, which numbered around 60 ships. She knew they would not shoot, for fear of hitting their own ships. A few stray potshots that came from officers eager for a kill nearly hit the ship, but the shots usually came nowhere near Starrunner. With her piloting and his accurate shots, they soon found themselves on the vector Kandia had programmed for hyperspace. "Here we go," she shouted as the stars turned into lines. 

A refreshed Obi-Wan entered the cockpit, having just taken a shower. His wet hair was spiky from the toweling he had given it, but Kandia noticed he certainly looked better than he had a few hours ago. "What's our ETA?" he asked, sitting once again in the copilot's seat. 

"One hour," she answered automatically. 

Obi-Wan appeared to think for a moment. "Kandia," he blurted out, "why *does* Palpatine want to wipe out Caamas?" 

She gave him a look that wondered exactly how dumb he was. "Have you kept up to date on events in the Senate?" 

"I have," he answered steadily. 

"Then you know Palpatine has been gathering support for a run at the Presidency. If-no when-he runs for President, the Caamasi will be the only ones who can really drum up resistance against him. They're a peaceful people, well-respected by everyone, even their enemies in the Senate. Especially with Palpatine's reputation. I doubt very strongly they'll let him become President." 

"So if he eliminates the Caamasi," Obi-Wan continued, "the Caamasi Senator will resign because he has nothing to represent other than a nomadic population, and those don't have representatives in the Senate. Palpatine will then have no resistance other than a few renegade senators for his nomination as President." 

"Exactly." 

He looked at her. "Shouldn't you take a break?" He half-expected her to glare and resolutely declare she was staying where she was, but she had surprised him a few times on their forced trip together. Apparently, this was one such time. 

Yawning, she nodded. "I'll take a short shower," she said. She smiled as she rose. "Take care of the ship, Jedi," she said. Her smile grew as she added in a teasing tone, "Or you'll be sorry." As she walked away, he found himself staring at the sway of her hips. Embarrassed, he tore his gaze away and looked at the console, making sure everything was normal. 

He settled back in his chair, letting his thoughts drift across the galaxy with the Force. It was one of those rare times when he actually had time to meditate, but it did nothing to ease his turbulent emotions. This new attraction he felt to Kandia made him feel uneasy. He was not as attentive as usual, and that could get him killed. Also, every time she was near him, a loss of control was imminent when his feelings for her surfaced. He tried to control them, but it was like trying to control a rancor with a leash. 

A hand dropped onto his shoulder. He grabbed the hand and was about to break it in self-defense when a familiar, amused voice said, "Jedi, it's just me. Remember?" He let the hand go and watched as she reclaimed her seat. 

"You did quick," he commented. "It's only been a few minutes." 

She frowned at him. "It's been forty-five minutes. That's not what I call 'quick.' " 

"Forty-five?" he repeated, his eyes wide with surprise. "I thought it was just a few minutes." 

"Been daydreaming, Jedi?" she asked, her voice still showing heavy traces of amusement at his expense. A beep interrupted their conversation, signaling that the ship was about to exit hyperspace. Kandia turned her attention to piloting the ship, making sure they exited hyperspace safely. Obi-Wan brought up the tactical screen he had seen her use before. They were too late. 

Lasers blazed back and forth between the planet's surface and the ships, but the Jedi and the Sith could tell it was a losing battle for Caamas. The ship had parked a few million kilometers away from the battle, recording it, observing it. 

"How could they be here?" Obi-Wan demanded. "We left before the task force did." 

"They must have suspected we'd be following," Kandia explained, starting from the beginning, "so they set up half the task force to ambush us, and half to continue on to Caamas." Her face contained a bizarre mixture of anger, defiance, grief and guilt. "What I'm wondering is what exactly happened to their planetary shield." 

Obi-Wan looked at her, the sudden realization of what she had said appearing on his face. "That's right, they have one. It should be able to stand up to a week's worth of punishment like this. So why isn't it up?" 

Kandia gritted her teeth. "The Caamasi may be peaceful, but they wouldn't hesitate to put the planetary shield up for something like this." She hesitated. "The shield must have been sabotaged by a ground crew," she said slowly, coming to the obvious conclusion. 

They continued watching in silence as death rained down on the doomed world of Caamas. Many of the world's numerous forests were on fire, big enough to be seen from space. Lights from cities winked out, one by one, replaced by the consuming light of more fire. Lasers lit up the surrounding space and the skies of Caamas, beautiful and deadly at the same time, their interplay seeming to be a veritable artist's palette. Obi-Wan couldn't tear his eyes away from the gruesome yet mesmerizing spectacle, knowing that he was watching the final moments of one of the galaxy's most respected races. 

So many lives snuffed out in a meaningless struggle, so many dreams shattered over a pointless political fight . . . Kandia watched, time seeming to stretch into one long second for her. Despair at not being able to stop the slaughter in time ate at her. Her hand unconsciously snaked towards Obi-Wan's, grasping it tightly enough to almost break it, but Obi-Wan didn't notice. In reality, the battle took only a few minutes, but to the two observers, it seemed much, much longer.

Long after the attacking ship had jumped back into hyperspace, Kandia was able to shake off her thoughts and entered in a course for Coruscant. She glanced at Obi-Wan, saw that he was still in a daze. Once her ship was in hyperspace, she reached over and hugged him in a consoling embrace. Obi-Wan tensed slightly, jolted out of his thoughts, but relaxed and hugged her back. They didn't let go for a long, long time. 

"Starrunner, you are cleared for Dock 39," the space traffic director said. 

"Thanks, Central," she answered. "Starrunner out." She turned to the Jedi. "Well, here we are." 

"Yes," he said absently. He smiled sadly. "Are you sure you don't want to join the Jedi? You're pretty strong in the Force, and you're not exactly that deep in the dark side of the Force, based on your actions." 

She shook her head. "I have a problem with authority," she admitted, "and I don't take kindly to being told what to do. Besides, I have a lot of stuff in my past to work out and I need to do it alone." 

He took a deep breath, knowing he was about to drop a bombshell, but it had to be done, both for him- and herself. "Kandia, please stay," he pleaded. "I . . . I love you." 

She stared at him for a moment. Her voice softened. "I love you, too, but I can't stay. Please understand." Her voice recovered a touch of its usual wryness. "Besides, I don't think you want me around. We'd probably have too many fights." 

Despite himself, he laughed. "Well, goodbye, then," he said awkwardly. She stepped up to him and kissed him. He momentarily became lost in its sweetness when she abruptly pulled away. 

"Goodbye," she said softly. 

He pushed her chin up gently, tracing her features as if committing them to memory. "Goodbye," he repeated. He looked at her one more time before leaving the ship. He sent her a farewell message through the Force, and she smiled as she sensed him going through customs. Her ship blasted off for parts unknown, beginning the quest its owner had vowed to make to fix her past. __


End file.
